of quarrelling with me just now. I tell you now one
thing, which is, that if you do not take back the purse, I will quarrel
with you; and it shall be for good and all. I'll drop your acquaintance,
no longer call you my pal, and not even say sarshan {119} to you when I
meet you by the roadside. Hir mi diblis {120} I never will.' I saw by
Jasper's look and tone that he was in earnest, and, as I had really a
regard for the strange being, I scarcely knew what to do. 'Now, be
persuaded, brother,' said Mr. Petulengro, taking up the purse, and
handing it to me; 'be persuaded; put the purse into your pocket, and buy
the horse.' 'Well,' said I, 'if I did so, would you acknowledge the
horse to be yours, and receive the money again as soon as I should be
able to repay you?'

'I would, brother, I would,' said he; 'return me the money as soon as you
please, provided you buy the horse.' 'What motive have you for wishing
me to buy that horse?' said I. 'He's to be sold for fifty pounds,' said
Jasper, 'and is worth four times that sum; though, like many a splendid
bargain, he is now going a begging; buy him, and I'm confident that, in a
little time, a grand gentleman of your appearance may have anything he
asks for him, and found a fortune by his means. Moreover, brother, I
want to dispose of this fifty pounds in a safe manner. If you don't take
it, I shall fool it away in no time, perhaps at card-playing, for you saw
how I was cheated by those blackguard jockeys the other day--we gyptians
don't know how to take care of money: our best plan when we have got a
handful of guineas is to make buttons with them; but I have plenty of
golden buttons, and don't wish to be troubled with more, so you can do me
no greater favour than vesting the money in this speculation, by which my
mind will be relieved of considerable care and trouble for some time at
least.'

Perceiving that I still hesitated, he said, 'Perhaps, brother, you think
that I did not come honestly by the money: by the honestest manner in the
world, brother, for it is the money I earnt by fighting in the ring: I
did not steal it, brother, nor did I get it by disposing of spavined
donkeys, or glandered ponies--nor is it, brother, the profits of my
wife's witchcraft and dukkerin.'

'But,' said I, 'you had better employ it in your traffic.' 'I have
plenty of money for my traffic, independent of this capital,' said Mr.
Petulengro; 'ay, brother, and enough besides to back th